[from occupied ga]

Easy answer: BECAUSE THE GOVERNMENT ALWAYS PROTECTS... THE GOVERNMENT

Spying on the citizens isn't to make the citizens safer. To the contrary it is to ensure the citizens are not up to anything that will thwart the will of the government.

Either we have a 4th amendment or we don't. The 4th amendment says:

The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.

It doesn't have the addendum "unless the government thinks it's better to spy on the people." It is an absolute determined by awrrant and probably cause, not fishing expeditions.

[HollyB]

That’s PG county for ya, especially that area.

[ntnychik]

The author has a point. I’ve been living under a cloud of impending doom since January 20, 2009.

[T-Bird45]

His description of the movie-going experience in Capitol Heights sounds like the reason why the on-duty Officer of the Guard on my kaserne in West Germany, circa 1978-81, had to attend every movie at the post theater to keep the rowdiness down among the enlisted members that lived on post. You haven't lived until you've done so during the first showing of the original Halloween with Jamie Lee Curtis. Fun times...

[USS Johnston]

If you’re worried that someone’s going to pull a knife, a gun or set the place on fire, you’re going to be busy looking around to scan the theater, listening for commotion or trouble and generally paying attention to everything but what’s on the screen.

But...Isn't this the reason masked, plugged-in, sunglassed SWAT and the FBI will eventually run the ticket booth, sell you your popcorn, hand your six-year old her movie-stub, and guard all four exits in and out of the theater with automatic weapons??

"Relax and enjoy your Disney movie, sir and madam. We're from the government and here to help you."

(feeling safer yet??)